Deltatech's 1973 Plymouth Duster

[Deltatech]

With me, it's brain constipation or brain diarrhea. There is no in between.

lol, I've found myself standing in the middle of a room asking "What the hell did I come in here for?" more and more often since I turned 50 a few years ago.

 

[Deltatech]

This ain't rocker science It's been all over the net forever.

In 2025 ,It's actually hard to find this information. I spent an Hour Searching here and Google which just leads to here. I saw your posts about those two pans have been around for years now.
All of the posts that I have found don't have a conclusion to weather a pan fits without modification.
Everyone has, so far, ordered their pan and never came back and posted pics or what mods were necessary to make it fit.
Standup303 is doing a big block dart with the 187 pan while I am going with the 893 repo. We could be the first 2 posts that end with a definite answer.

 

[Deltatech]

Uh, wtf was I thinking.... or wasn't... I'll measure the compression height today.
Total Brain fart.

AAAND old age... I FORGOT...

 

[Deltatech]

Another member is having the same issue of finding information online here, Centerlink grinding on 440 oil pan

 

[Deltatech]

I was thinking about this yesterday.
*the 440 has been out of production since 1978 causing them to become rarer and rarer each year since.
*A.I. has worsened the commercialization and enshitification of search engines. They want to sell you crap (not even the right crap mind you)instead of providing the information you're looking for.
*Shop class was taken out of public education decades ago now. leading to youngers just buying new instead of rebuilding old.
*ending in harder to find information.

 

[RustyRatRod]

In 2025 ,It's actually hard to find this information. I spent an Hour Searching here and Google which just leads to here. I saw your posts about those two pans have been around for years now.
All of the posts that I have found don't have a conclusion to weather a pan fits without modification.
Everyone has, so far, ordered their pan and never came back and posted pics or what mods were necessary to make it fit.
Standup303 is doing a big block dart with the 187 pan while I am going with the 893 repo. We could be the first 2 posts that end with a definite answer.

Well I think info comes and goes in spurts on the net. I've run into times I couldn't find stuff I THOUGHT was pretty popular.

 

[mygasser]

lol, I've found myself standing in the middle of a room asking "What the hell did I come in here for?" more and more often since I turned 50 a few years ago.

yep, i often get to my toolbox and don't remember what i wanted. i go back to the job and it comes to me..... usually, lol.
neil.

 

[Deltatech]

I'm puttering around today, experimenting with electro rust removal.

 

[Deltatech]

Not bad after bubbeling all day today!

 

[Deltatech]

I'll be puttering until the oil pan gets here, it hasn't shipped yet.
I've been recently thinking of
*redoing the trunk
* making some beauty panels for the stereo, *installing subs ,amp
*making some carpeted panels.
*making a non destructive filler plate for the uncut, stock stereo hole in the dash
The 73' Duster has a new trunk seal that looks to have a good seal but gets water in the trunk on the passenger side when I pressure wash it.
It's been that way for about 4 years and something I haven't taken the time to figure out yet.

 

[Deltatech]

I traded my old fenders for this car stereo stuff a few years ago. It's been sitting on the shelf for about 2 years.
Fosgate 2x12's a crap Memphis 1500w single and 2x Fosgate 5.25's

 

[Deltatech]

It looks like an old 1990 d150 radiator will fit the opening of the engine run stand so I derusted and sprayed the supports.

 

[Deltatech]

I finally got the lights wired and working from the switch on the engine run stand toady. I'll still have to do some cable management. I'll also have to wire the ignition box,coil,starter,voltage regulator and alternator later.
I may have to run an electric fan, there may not be enough space for a belt driven fan.

 

[Deltatech]

I'm pretty much waiting on the new oil pan and pickup so I can prime then install the intake and break it in.

 

[Deltatech]

I went and picked up the other 5.9/360 block and Duster parts that had been sitting at my little brothers since 2018. It's time for a tear down and inspection of that 5.9. It's also time to get rid of some old 440 and Duster parts.
I don't trust this 1 ton Harbor freight engine stand, it's bent from just sitting (last pic).
Let me know if you see any parts you need in the pics. I'll be posting to for sale and Craigslist soon.
This 5.9 was picked up for free, it is missing the heads and roller lifters.
Everything else is with it. I'm pulling the oil pan tonight to try to figure out why it was scavenged for parts.

 

[abdywgn]

what application is the oil pan?

 

[Deltatech]

what application is the oil pan?

Good eye and question, it came out of a passenger van. It also fits a Dakota or ram truck. I have 2 of the Magnum Dakota and 2 LA truck/Ramcharger pans that are similar if you need one. I plan on cutting and welding one to experiment with how hard it is to customize a pan.
I really like the sump on this pan. and it's baffled...

 

[RustyRatRod]

Any progress is good.

 

[Deltatech]

I didn't trust the way the block was installed on the stand so I had to figure out how to re adjust the mounting by myself today.
I backed my truck up, dropped the tail gate and lifted the block into the bed with the jack.
Then I slide the block forward and pulled back the engine stand. I re greased the mount side.

 

[Deltatech]

I flipped the mount 180 and rebolted the engine down. Now it turns easier.It was hard to turn more than 90 before.
I found that #2 is cracked all of the way down the bore on this block. It's junk. I hope the other block is good otherwise phase 2 is back to square 1 and my end up scrapped due to the price increases from the current trade war and tarrifs.

 

[abdywgn]

gotta love the folding mobile work benches

 

[Deltatech]

I'm thinking I may turn it into another end table with glass top. Cleaned and painted. I'm looking into having it sleeved since it was free. It'd basically cost the same as a used block around here.

 

[Deltatech]

I got a $450 shipment consisting of a whopping 7 440 source parts today. The Tarrifs have hit hard and are now pricing me out of this coping skill and hobby.
I'm out of funds again and back to going without to afford this hobby later.
I can finally make some progress installing the correct pan, intake and priming the pump soon.
The repo pan is decently nice but very expensive. It's baffled.
I bought the pickup for the other pan so I can sell it as a kit if I don't use it.
It's time to clean up and sell some old original parts.

 

[abdywgn]

that averages out to less than $70 a part. great price for the pan, not so good on the others.

 

[Deltatech]

Since I've introduced a shelf full of parts that I had stored at my Brothers shop into no room, I've had to totally reorganize my whole house, garage, and yard. It's going to take a few full days but hopefully will be worth the effort.
* Everything that is stored in the garage is coming into the house in totes and on shelves.
Pic #1-Garage before
Pic #2- I moved the three storage shelves into a back room.
*Only the current projects parts will be in the garage which is from now on a dedicated work space and no longer used for storage.
*Now I understand why so many Mopar guys yards have parts sitting outside in the mud everywhere.
*I found myself walking past the Duster to the other side of the garage to get tools when the tools were in a rolling toolbox....
There wasn't enough room to move the toolbox to the work....
I'm changing that NOW...